Earphone jack triggered interactive synchronized novelty devices and toys

ABSTRACT

A novelty device includes an electronic module for operatively connecting to an audio jack of a base unit. The novelty device also includes a mechanism configured to react in response to an analog signal received by the electronic module from the base unit. The novelty device may further include a power supply for providing energy to the mechanism.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 61/706,874 filed on Sep. 28, 2012 and entitled “EARPHONE JACKTRIGGERED INTERACTIVE SYNCHRONIZED NOVELTY DEVICES AND TOYS,” which isherein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosures relates generally to electronic devices andrelates particularly to an electronic toy, game and/or novelty devicewhich can be implemented by plugging the toy, game and/or novelty deviceinto an earphone jack of a mobile phone and/or a portable music device.

One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a device includingan electronic module for operatively connecting to an audio jack of abase unit. The device further includes a mechanism selected from thegroup consisting of one or more mechanical contraptions,electromechanical contraptions, audio producing contraptions and lightproducing contraptions. The device may further include a power supplyfor providing energy to the mechanism.

The foregoing summary, as well as the following description, will bebetter understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawingsillustrating various embodiments. It should be understood, however, thatthe invention is not limited to the precise arrangements andinstrumentalities shown. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a device and base unit according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is another schematic diagram of the device and the base unitaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of a device according to an embodimentof the present disclosure.

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenienceonly and is not intended to be limiting. The terminology used hereinincludes the explicit words used, derivatives thereof and words ofsimilar import. Unless specifically set forth herein, the terms “a,”“an” and “the” are not limited to one element, but instead should beread as “at least one.”

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate likeelements throughout, FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a novelty device (generally,“device”), generally designated 10, such as a toy, a game or the like,that includes an electronic module 12 or other connection means, such asa plug or adapter, to allow the device 10 to directly connect to or pluginto an earphone speaker or audio jack 16 of a mobile phone, a portablemusic device (e.g., an Apple iPhone™), a stereo, a video game consoleand/or a tablet, laptop or desktop computer (collectively, a “baseunit”), generally designated 14. The device 10 and the base unit 14 ofpresent disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from their essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not as restrictive.

The device 10 includes a power supply 18, such as one or more batteries,and a mechanism 20 interconnected thereto. Once the electronic module 12of the device 10 is plugged into the audio jack 16 of the base unit 14,a signal (e.g., current, analog signal, analog audio signal or the like)may be sent from the base unit 14 and/or received at the device 10,which triggers or activates the mechanism 20 of the device 10. After themechanism 20 is triggered by the music or audio signal generated by thebase unit 14, or even simultaneously when the audio signal is sent, thebattery 18 sends a current that powers at least a portion of themechanism 20 and makes the mechanism 20 and/or the device 10 perform atleast one function or movement, as described in detail below. Thetriggering audio signal may be evaluated by the device 10 to cause amovement or a reaction in the mechanism 20 that correlates with aspectsand features of the audio signal. Alternatively, in some embodimentspower to the device 10 may be provided by way of low voltage currenttransferred to the device 10 by way of the audio jack.

The mechanism 20 of the device 10 may be selected from a groupconsisting of one or more mechanical mechanisms, electromechanicalmechanisms, speakers, light-emitting diodes (“LED”), liquid crystaldisplays (“LCD”) and the like, and combinations thereof. In certainembodiments, the current relayed from battery 18 powers anelectromechanical mechanism that may be selected from the groupconsisting of one or more electronic motors, magnets/coils, piezoactuators, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the device 10performs a mechanical movement synchronized with the audio sound signalof the base unit 14. For example, when the mobile phone 14 emits aringing sound upon receipt of an incoming call, the mechanism 20 and/orthe device 10 may generate a hand-waving image on an LCD or mechanicallyperform a hand-waving motion. Alternatively and illustratively, as shownin FIG. 3, the mechanism 20 may include a mouth or eyes that move inresponse to or in unison with the audio signal. Thus, the output ormovement of at least a portion of the mechanism 20 may be caused toreact by operating the base unit 14. As a result, the base unit 14 cancontrol output of the mechanism 20 of the device 10.

In some embodiments, the current relayed from the discharging of thebattery 18 powers one or more light emitting diodes. In certainembodiments, the device 10 produces an illumination selected from thegroup consisting of flashing, blinking, strobing, lighting effects, andthe like, and combinations thereof. In further embodiments, the device10 repeatedly produces an illumination selected from the groupconsisting of flashing, blinking, strobing, lighting effects, and thelike, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the device 10 performs a lighting effectsynchronized with the audio sound signal of the base unit 14. In furtherembodiments, the device 10 performs a function selected from the groupconsisting of an illumination, mechanical movement, electromechanicalmovement and combinations thereof that are synchronized with the audiosound signal of the base unit 14. The device 10 may further identifyparticular audio signals originating from the base unit 14 and providespecific or custom reactions (which may or may not be user configurable)in response to particular audio signals originating from the base unit14.

In yet another embodiment, the device 10 comprises both male and femaleear plug jacks 12, 24, as commonly understood by those skilled in theart, so that the device 10 becomes an in-line coupling from the audiophone jack output 16 of the base unit 14 to the listener's earphones 28(see FIG.

3). As a result, conventional speaker headphones 28 can be pluggeddirectly into female ear plug jack 24 of the device 10 for listening tomusic or other audio originating from the base unit 14 or the device 10.The in-line coupling may also operate as a pass-through for microphonecapabilities.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, the audio signal of thebase unit 14 will be interpreted by an integrated circuit (“I.C.”) 26 ofthe device 10 to vary the brightness of the device's light emittingdiode 20, which in turn will cause variation in the illumination effectsof the device 10. In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, theaudio signal of the base unit 14 will be interpreted by the integratedcircuit 26 of the device 10 to vary the electromechanical mechanism 20,which in turn will cause variation in the mechanical movements of thedevice 10.

In one embodiment, the male ear plug jack 12 can be rotated at least orexactly 90 degrees so that the device 10 can be selectively positionedand adjusted by the user for best fit and operation with the base unit14.

The device 10 of the present disclosure offers a significant advantageover the prior art in that it does not require known wired mechanisms topower the device's performance. The present disclosure expands adevice's functionality and utility because it is easily implementedsimply by plugging the device 10 into the earphone jack 16 of a baseunit 14. Importantly, the implementation of the device 10 does not drainor affect the battery usage of the base unit 14 because in at least oneembodiment the mechanism 20 is powered by the battery 18 and not asignal from the base unit 14.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could bemade to the embodiments described above without departing from the broadinventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that thisinvention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but itis intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A novelty device comprising: an electronic module foroperatively connecting to an audio jack of a base unit; a mechanismconfigured to react in response to an analog signal received by theelectronic module from the base unit; and a power supply for providingenergy to the mechanism to effectuate operation of the mechanism.
 2. Thenovelty device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic module is amale ear plug jack capable of receiving a signal from the audio jack ofthe base unit when coupled with said audio jack of the base unit.
 3. Thenovelty device according to claim 2, wherein the power supply istriggered by the electronic module and sends a current to the mechanismto cause the mechanism to perform at least one function or movement. 4.The novelty device according to claim 3, further comprising: anintegrated circuit that varies an output of the mechanism based uponcharacteristics of the signal received from the base unit.
 5. Thenovelty device according to claim 1, further comprising: a female plugjack spaced-apart from the electronic module capable of operation as apass-through for the signal received from the base unit.
 6. The noveltydevice according to claim 1, wherein the device is a toy.
 7. The noveltydevice according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism is selected from thegroup consisting of one or more mechanical contraptions,electromechanical contraptions, audio producing contraptions and lightproducing contraptions.
 8. A method comprising: connecting an electronicmodule of a novelty device to an audio jack of a base unit; receiving,at the novelty device, an analog signal sent from the base unit; andproviding a current to a mechanism of the novelty device to effectuateperformance of at least one function or movement.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 7, further comprising: varying an output of themechanism based upon an integrated circuit of the novelty deviceinterpreting the analog signal.
 10. The method according to claim 7,wherein the mechanism is selected from the group consisting of one ormore mechanical contraptions, electromechanical contraptions, audioproducing contraptions and light producing contraptions.
 11. The methodaccording to claim 7, wherein the novelty device is selected from thegroup consisting of a toy and a game.
 12. The method according to claim7, wherein base unit is selected from the group consisting of a mobiletelephone and a portable music player.
 13. A combination base unit andnovelty device, the combination comprising: the base unit selected fromthe group consisting of a mobile telephone and a portable music player,the base unit including an audio jack; and the novelty device beingselected from the group consisting of a toy and a game, the noveltydevice including: an electronic module for operatively connecting to theaudio jack of the base unit; a mechanism configured to react in responseto an analog signal received by the electronic module from the baseunit; and a power supply for providing energy to the mechanism toeffectuate operation of the mechanism, wherein, when the electronicmodule is connected to the audio jack of the base, the base unit sendsthe analog signal through the audio jack and the electronic module toactivate the mechanism of the device.